Wind instrument of the reed type



June 20, 1939. E. v. POWELL WIND INSTRUMENT OF THE REED TYPE ori inal Filed Sept. 29. 1934 Iawezaior: Edaward VPOweZZ, by 6%, W M r M flfiy s Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ary 2'7, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to wind instruments of the reed type, such as the saxophone, and the clarinet. The invention aims to improve and to simplify the G# key mechanism, whose prime function is to control the interval G--G#. This mechanism is simplified, as compared with the prior art, by the employment of a three-function spring.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are elevations illustrating in different positions mechanism operated by the fourth finger of the left hand to play the note G#;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the mechanism in a plane containing the axis of the shaft; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows on said line.

Referring to the drawing, and to the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein by way of example, there is shown a portion of a saxophone whose general construction and mode of operation are usual and well known, and only those parts which are necessary to an understanding of the present invention are shown and will be described in detail.

The saxophone has a pipe comprising a body 25 to which the usual neck and mouthpiece (not shown) are secured. The instrument will, of course, be provided with a full set of tone holes and covers, together with appropriate octave mechanisms. The tone holes include one which is provided with a normally elevated cover 3| operated in the usual manner, and another which is provided with a cover 3| carried by an arm H8 which is rigidly carried by a sleeve I I9 loosely mounted on and about a fixed shaft I20 whose ends are mounted in brackets IZI and I22. Also fixedly mounted on the sleeve H9 is an arm I23 having a lug I24 overlying the outer side (underneath, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) of an arm I25 which is rigidly mounted on a second sleeve I26 loosely mounted on and about the shaft I20, and on this sleeve a key 4L operated by the fourth finger of the left hand is rigidly mounted.

A spring I2! is rigidly secured at one end to the bracket I22 and its free end is received in Divided and this application August 5, 1936, Serial No. 94,388.

Renewed J anua recess I28 in one end of a lever I29 which presents two rounded pivots I30 and I3I hav ing pivotal connection with the arms I23 and I25, respectively, as by being received in holes therein.

Normally, the key 4L is maintained in an elevated position, the tone hole cover 30 is elevated and the tone hole cover 3! is maintaineddepressed (see Fig. 1) by the spring I21 whose thrust is in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and from the observer and clockwise about the shaft I20 as viewed in Fig. 5. The key 4-L is elevated because the thrust of the spring tends to move the lever I29 bodily from the observer, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and thus to swing the arm I25 from the observer and to rock the sleeve I26 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5. The tone hole cover 3| is depressed because the arm I25 is urging the overlying lug I24 outwardly and. the latter is rigidly connected by the arm I23, sleeve H9 and arm II8 to the cover 3I.

When the key 4L is pressed toward the horn body, in opposition to the spring I2'I, the arm I25 moves in an inward direction until it strikes the horn body. But the thrust of the spring, transferred through the lever I29 to the arm I23, maintains the arm I25 against the lug I24 of the arm I23, and therefore the latter rocks the sleeve H9, and through the arm H8 lifts the cover 3|. This is the condition shown in Fig. 2, and exists when the tone hole cover 30 is in its elevated position. In this position, the cover 3! may be closed by closing the cover 30 whose arm I32 overlies and engages the cover 3|.

Now, with the key 4L depressed and with the arm I25 held fixed, the pivot I3I of the lever I29 becomes its fulcrum, and if any one or all of the tone hole keys operated by the first, second and third fingers of the right hand are depressed, an arm I32, rigidly carried by the tone hole cover 30 and overlying the tone hole cover 3|, depresses the latter, in opposition to the resistance of the spring I21. This is because of the fact that the rocking of the arm II8, sleeve H9 and arm I23 causes the latter, connected to the pivot I30, to swing the lower end of the lever I29 inwardly, said lever rocking about the pivot I3! as a fulcrum, and the upper end of said lever swinging toward the observer, in opposition to the spring I2'I. During this movement, the lug I24 of the arm I23 swings away from the underlying arm I25. This condition is shown in Fig. 3.

This same condition is sometimes obtained by first closing and maintaining the cover 3| closed by the arm I32, with the three keys operated by the first, second and third fingers of the right hand, and then depressing the key 4L. In this case, the lever I 29 rocks on the pivot I30 as a fulcrum as the arm I25 moves away from the lug I24 of the arm I23 and toward the horn body.

The whole of the mechanism just described is a unit with a single spring to provide a new means for the opening and closing of the tone hole cover 3| by pressure on the key 4-L, or by depressing the keys operated by the first, second and third fingers of the right hand.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent, to secure is:

1. In a wind instrument of the reed type, such as a saxophone, the combination of a tube provided with a tone hole, a cover for said hole, and operating mechanism including a key, a spring, and mechanism operated by said spring normally to maintain said cover depressed and said key elevated, and to elevate said cover when said key is depressed.

2. In a wind instrument of the reed type, such as a saxophone, the combination of a tube provided with a tone hole, a cover for said hole, and operating mechanism including a key, a floating lever, a spring connected to said lever, and mechanism connecting said lever, on the one hand to said key and on the other hand to said cover, to cause said spring to act through said lever normally to maintain said cover depressed and said key elevated, and to elevate said cover when said key is depressed.

3. In a wind instrument of the reed type, such as a saxophone, the combination of a tube provided with a tone hole, a cover for said hole, and operating mechanism including a key, a floating lever having intermediate its ends a fulcrum which is carried by said key, a spring engaging one end of said lever, an arm to which the other end of said lever is pivoted, and a lost-motion connection between said arm and said key, said spring acting through said lever normally to maintain said cover depressed and said key elevated, and to elevate said cover when said key is depressed.

4. In a wind instrument of the reed type, such as a saxophone, the combination of a tube provided with a tone hole, a cover for said hole, operating mechanism including a key, a spring, means operated by said spring normally to maintain said cover depressed and said key elevated and to elevate said cover when said key is depressed, and independent operating mechanism for depressing said cover and maintaining said cover depressed, the first-mentioned mechanism including means to enable the second-mentioned mechanism to depress said cover while said key remains depressed.

EDWARD V. POWELL. 

